Improvement in apparatus for extinguishing f



J. H. 8a T. E. CONNELLY. Apparatus for Extinguishing Fire on Ship Board,&o.

No. 218,49L- Patented Aug. 12, 1879.

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0 (L l a I o I I I I" I IOII z a a a I Fr a I w z I my Mums. j vwwhg gUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. CONNELLY AND THOMAS E. CONNELLY, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE EXTINGUISHER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES 0N SHIPBOARD, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,491. dated August12, 1879; application filed 1 June 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J osEPH H. CONNELLY and THOMAS E. GONNELLY, both ofPittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for ExtinguishingFires on Shipboard and in like places; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of thisspecification, and in which the devices illustrating our invention areshown partly in section.

Our invention relates to the construction of apparatus for generatingand distributing carbonic-acid gas, or other equivalent gas, underpressure, for the purpose oi'extinguishin g fires on shipboard and inlike places; and it consists in combining with a generator provided withinduction and eduction pipes a steam-jet arranged in the induction-pipe,and adapted to be used to both force and heat the water supplied to thegenerator, and also in details of construction hereinafter morespecifically set forth.

In subduing fires occurring on steamers, in the holds of vessels, andsimilar places, the customary means employed has been a stream of waterthrown by the pumps, or in some cases what is termed a chemicalfire-extinguisher, of some one of the well-known patterns, throwing astream of water impregnated with gas, said fire-extinguisher beingcharged by first filling the same with water and adding the chemicals,or mixing the same with,the water at the time the water was to beimpregnated with the gas. This class of fire-extinguishers are onlycapable of throwing both water and gas but in many instances the wateris objectionable, and the gas alone is fully as efiective when liberatedin aclosed chamber-as, for instance, the hold of a vessel.

The object of the present invention is to provide means wherebycarbonicacid or equivalent gas can be generated and delivered at thedesired point unmixed with water, but which apparatus, if desired, canalso be used to generate gas and impregnate water therewith, so

as to discharge both water and gas for the purpose of extinguishingfires.

We will now proceed to describe our invention, so that others skilledinthe art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawing, A indicates the generator, which should be of suitableplate metal, and of such strength as to resist great internal pressure.As it will in most casesbe stationary, its weight is not material, butits size should be proportioned to the duty demanded of it.

Communicating with the bottom of generator or chamber A areinduction-pipes a, (one or more,) having their openings guarded by ascreen or sieve, a, of sufficiently fine mesh to prevent the chemicalsplaced in the generator from falling into the induction-pipes a. bindicates a steam-jet, arranged in the inductionpipe at, in order tosupply steam toheat the water and facilitate the reaction of thechemicals which liberate the gas; and such jet b may constitute aninjector or siphon, to inject the water into the generator; or thewater-supply may be obtained by connecting the inductionpipe 0, to thedonkey-pump, or its equivalent.

B represents a discharge-pipe, located in the bottom of the generator,and used for discharging the spent gas-producing chemicals. Arrangedwithin the generator, and operated from without by a suitable crank, C,is a shaft, 0, having at its lower end arms 0, adapted to revolve nearthe bottom of the generator, so as to stir up anysubstance resting onthe bottom of the generator. About the middle of the generator (or lowerdown, if preferred) is a water-gage, D, which is used to indicate whensufficient water has been admitted to chamber A.

E represents an eduction-pipe, leading from a point at or near the topof the generator A,

"and from said pipe branch pipes e e e e 6 &c., (any desired number,)lead off to between decks and to other desired points. The open end ofpipe E is guarded by a screen, f. The induction and eduction pipes,branch pipes, and jet are each and all provided with suitable cocks, asshown in the drawing.

With the generator A a pressure-gage, F, toindieate the pressureofgas inthe upper [101* tion of the chamber, may be used, it'desired; and adoor, G, adapted to be closed tight, like the man-hole of a boiler orthe door of a gas retort, should be provided for introducing thechemicals.

The operation of these devices will he as t'ol lows: The door (it beingopened, a charge of any suitable chemicals adapted to generatecarbonic-acid or equivalent gas is introduced, andthe door closedperfectly tight. The chemicals we prefer to use are the sulphateofalumina or porous alum and granulated bicarbonate of soda, asdescribed in Letters Patent granted to J. H. (lonnelly, October 3t),1877, No. 196,562, though any others may be used, [\ltftltlltt beingalways given to such as require the presenccofa liquid toeause thereaction,and which will not affect the metal of the generator. In thiscondition the generator may be left until required for use, when theinduction-pipe will be opened, steam turned on at thejet I), and asupply of water, induced either by a pump or the jet, will be admittedto the generator, the cooks of the induction-pipe being regulated sothat the water shall not rise in the generator above the gage I) whengas only is required. The pressure-gage F will indicate the pressure ofgas in the upper part of the chamber, and if the reaction needsaccelerating the agitator c 0 may be used. The gas tlms generated willescape by eduetion-tube I 1,and may he directed through pipes r, &c., toany desired point in the vessel. When the chemicals are exhausted and itis desired to discharge the same from the generator the cocks of theeduction and induction pipes are closed, and that of the discharge-tubeB opened; or it it is desirable to wash out the generator thoroughly,the cock of the induction-pipe may be left open and a stream of waterallowed to flow through the chamber A. If water impregnated with gas isdesired, the induction-pipe can be left open until the chamber A istilled with water, the indications of the water-gage I) beingdisregarded, in which case the apparatus will opcrate substantially thesame as the ordinary chemical tire-extinguishers, throwing both waterand gas until the charge of chemicals is exhausted. In this case,however, a branch pipe, as indicated by dotted lines E, should be usedand the cock of the main eductionpipe E closed.

The advantages of our invention are simplicity and eti'ectiveness, andthe ability to use it either to supply gas alone or water impregnatedwith gas.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for generating gas for extinguishing tires onshipboard and in like places, the generatbig-chamber A, provided withthe induction pipe or pipes communicating with the generating-chamber ator near the bottom thereof. an eduction-pipe communieating with thegenerating-chamber at or near the top thereof, and an ag1tator,c c,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2.. The combination, with the generator, of an induction-pipe, aneduction-pipe, and a steam-jet arranged in the induction-pipe,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. An apparatus t'or extinguishing fires having a generatingchamberprovided with two valved eduction or delivery pipes, one leading from ator near the top, and another leading from at or near the bottom, of thegenerator, aml an induction or supply pipe communicating with thegenerator at a point sufliciently below the top thereof to permit theaccumulation of gas in the upper portion of the generator, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we, the said JOSEPH H. UONNELLY and THOMAS E.UONNELLY, have hereunto set our hands.

JOSEPH H. CONNELLY. THOMAS E. (JONNELLY.

\Vitnesses:

F. W. RITTER, J r., JAMES H. FORTE.

